Christmas movie recommendations?

[cilla4progress]

I'm home alone for a few days while my husband looks after his mom.

I'll be damned if I can find a decent list of semi-intelligent Christmas movies for grownups that I can get off Amazon prime!

Any suggestions?

[MrScorpio]

1. Santa Clause Conquers The Martians.

Last edited Sun Dec 16, 2018, 11:19 PM - Edit history (1)

Fixed

[melm00se]

20. that's one i haven't

heard of in a while.

https://archive.org/details/SantaClausConquersTheMartiansDVD

[TheBlackAdder]

97. How's BlackAdder's A Christmas Carol?

.

.

[Mr. Quackers]

2. Star Wars Christmas Special

[Glamrock]

53. Oh god!

Avoid this one like herpes!

[jberryhill]

67. There is such a movie?

[Glamrock]

68. Not a movie

A TV special. 30-60 minutes long. I remember seeing it as a kid when star wars was like, my whole world. I fantasized about being Luke Skywalker constantly. I know. I was 8 or 9 cut me some slack. Even I was like, wtf was that? That was horrible! I want my time back! And I was 8 or 9! In the words of Elvis Presley...turrible! Seriously! Avoid this like herpes. Watching Wookies sing Christmas carols, if memory serves, is traumatizing.

[912gdm]

71. a tv special.

it is...... amazing.

And I don't mean amazing as awesome, awe-inspiring, etc.



I just mean.... Wow.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Love Actually.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314331/?ref_=nv_sr_1

An excellent movie! The link takes you to IMDb's page on it. There's a preview and lists of who's in it and so on.

I recommend it!

[Ilsa]

6. I second this recommendation.

It's rated R, and includes sexual content and nudity. The story is fabulous, and leaves you feeling really good.

[rownesheck]

10. I love

that movie!!! Rick from The Walking Dead is in it too!

[redwitch]

19. My new favorite! NT

[Glorfindel]

56. My favorite Christmas movie. My cousins and I watch it every Christmas

I can't recommend it highly enough.

[Hekate]

78. It is wonderful

[cilla4progress]

81. Already seen it!

And do love it.

Just saw the Best Man Holiday. A lot to like about it.

[krawhitham]

125. +1

[missingthebigdog]

4. The Ref

[Glamrock]

55. Hillarious!

Great rec, man!

[VOX]

108. Terrific fare! On the darker side, but a damned riot.

Excellent choice, missingthebigdog.

[sandensea]

5. Sanata Claus: the Movie (1985)

Besides featuring John Lithgow, David Huddleston, and Dudley Moore, it has a progressive subplot sure to resonate with almost all of us here at DU.

[912gdm]

72. I just bought that for my amazon library and watched it the other night.

I didn't care for it when it came out cuz I was a teenager, but it was nice to see it again.

[FakeNoose]

7. If you have Netflix, watch The Christmas Chronicles

... with Kurt Russell as Santa Claus. It's rated PG with lots of action and it's surprisingly entertaining.

[Cracklin Charlie]

9. That looks good!

I just saw an ad last week.

[cynatnite]

13. I enjoyed the hell out of it...

Kurt Russell's musical number is a must see.

[hurple]

50. The correct title is...

"Holy F**K Kurt Russell is Playing Santa Claus!"

[Cracklin Charlie]

8. The Bells of St. Mary's

Christmas in Connecticut
Holiday Inn
The Bishops Wife

I like the classics.

[lkinwi]

16. I love The Bishop's Wife!

[Poiuyt]

120. Bishop's Wife is my favorite Christmas movie!

[melm00se]

22. don't forget

White Christmas

[theophilus]

11. Here are a couple that are not well known to many....

The Family Man with Nicolas Cage and Tea Leoni

Remember the Night with Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck

[MoonchildCA]

35. I second The Family Man.

I love that movie.

[demtenjeep]

12. christmas vacation

it is a MUST in our household

Every Thanksgiving before we go to bed. CV starts our Christmas

[Takket]

14. Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas ever

[Poiuyt]

15. If you like older movies, check out The Bishop's Wife

Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven

[brooklynite]

17. The ORIGINAL (in B&W) "Miracle on 34th Street"

As my wife points out:

1. New York at Christmastime

2. Speaking Dutch

3. Lawyers

[cynatnite]

18. Here's my list...

Scrooged
Christmas Carol...several to choose from that are fun.
Joyeux Noel...incredible filmj.
Christmas Chronicles...this was a lot of fun. It's on Netflix. Take note of Kurt Russell's musical number. Really the highlight of the movie.

I'm a complete sucker for the kids movies, too. Mickey Mouse Once and Twice Upon a Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, just to name a few.

Last night I watched Little Drummer Boy. Despite being the atheist that I am, I liked it and sniffled a bit at the end.

Christmas Vacation, Elf.

Another one that I'm not sure if you can find is called Silent Night. It stars Linda Hamilton as a German woman who is trying to hide her son away so that he won't go into the Hitler Youth. She takes refuge with him at a cabin that both German and US soldiers come upon. A truce is struck for Christmas night. It's really a wonderful movie about enemies, wartime and finding peace. I love that one.

Anyway, have fun!

[demtenjeep]

21. can't forget A Christmas Story-you'll shoot your eye out

We even have a replica leg lamp from that movie

[cynatnite]

28. Depends on the mood I'm in for that movie. n/t

[Glamrock]

57. Grinch!

There's no mood! No mood I say! That is the ultimate Christmas movie. Kid scheming fpr a specific present, foulmouthed dad, hillbilly's nextdoor. Bully's. Mine may have occured in the late 70's but it's my....nay! It's all of our childhoods!

[blm]

25. My signifother wrote Scrooged

By the time it was shot and released we were in different relationships, but, still great friends. He added the song Brown-Eyed Girl during the flashback scene for me. 😊

[Freedomofspeech]

27. Very cool!!

[cynatnite]

29. One of my favorites! n/t

[TeamPooka]

23. The Bishop's Wife

[SidDithers]

24. The Ref...

with Dennis Leary is pretty funny.

Sid

[blm]

26. I concur.

.

[applegrove]

32. Very funny movie.

[RandySF]

30. Bad Santa

[nolabear]

34. A surprisingly sweet movie.

I love Billy Bob Thornton anyway but it gets me.

[lilactime]

31. The Holly and the Ivy

[CBHagman]

46. I keep meaning to see that.

And I see it's coming up on TCM a week from today, so I'm going to have to find a way to view that (no cable).

http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/78205/The-Holly-and-the-Ivy/

[lilactime]

84. I'll be glad to make you a copy if you want.

[CBHagman]

98. That is a very kind offer!

And I might accept it, if we can arrange something.

[calguy]

33. Hallmark anyone?

[nolabear]

131. I swear they have a sweatshop. All dedicated to how women who are successful

aren’t really happy until they discover their old home town and the man of their dreams.

[kimbutgar]

36. Christmas chronicles on Netflix is my new favorite

Kurt Russell is a great Santa and the story is fun, even for adults.

[IcyPeas]

37. The Snowman - (I know you said for grownups... but...

this is so artfully done. No dialogue. Just music. From wikipedia:

The Snowman was adapted as a half-hour animated television special.... It was first shown on 26 December 1982, and was an immediate success. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film and won a BAFTA TV Award, out of two nominations.

The story is told through pictures, action and music, scored by Howard Blake. It is wordless, just like the book, except for the song "Walking in the Air". In addition to the orchestral score, performed in the film by the Sinfonia of London, Blake composed the music and lyrics of the song, performed by Peter Auty, a St Paul's Cathedral choirboy.

It was voted #4 in UKTV Gold's Greatest TV Christmas Moments. It came third in Channel 4's poll of 100 Greatest Christmas Moments in 2004.

[Poiuyt]

121. The Snowman is one of the best animated films I've ever seen

[mia]

126. Timeless classic. My favorite.

Thank you for posting the link. I still have the vhs and dvd versions of "The Snowman", and have held on to a dvd player because of it. It's hard to believe that The Snowman is 30 years old. I taught young students for most of my working life and showed them this film every year. It's still my favorite and now that I'm retired and Christmas dinner is at my house, my adult children and their children will see it once again.

[Poiuyt]

129. Great tradition!

Bring the young ones up loving it as much as you do.

[NightWatcher]

38. Die Hard

[MurrayDelph]

41. Not to mention Die Hard 2: Die Harder

More traditional options:

The Man who Came to Dinner

Christmas in Connecticut

It Happened on Fifth Avenue

[FakeNoose]

48. Definitely not for kids though - rated R for language and violence

Adults will find this movie entertaining for sure, but it's really not a "Christmas movie" like the other suggestions on here. I just watched it the other day for the first time in 20 years, and I had forgotten how bad the language is.

[Major Nikon]

124. Not a Christmas movie

[dustyscamp]

39. Planes, trains, and automobiles

[USALiberal]

117. Ahhh, That is Thanksgiving!! nt

[Hermit-The-Prog]

40. The Day After

and The Day After Tomorrow

Oh, home alone?

Psycho
In Cold Blood

[lunatica]

112. LOL!

There’s always one fly in the egg nog!

[Hermit-The-Prog]

116. made you laugh, though

My work is done.

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

42. It Happened on Fifth Avenue (funny old 40s movie w quirky characters), Call the Midwife 1st

Christmas special (2012). It stands on its own pretty well, you dont have to have seen it before (I think the early ones set in the 1950s are more interesting too before things got more modern.)

Of course A Christmas Story and Its a Wonderful Life - my mom has the colorized version and I enjoyed it - seemed to bring out more detail in the sets, the clothes they wore etc. I second The Snowman - not just for kids I think. Like A Crhistmas Story it kinda takes ya back to childhood for a little while which can be fun.

If its A Christmas Carol it has to be the one with Alistair Sim - best Scrooge ever imho.

[Volaris]

43. Not sure if Amazon has them for sale for an price that will work for you,

All three Lord of the rings films...the directors cuts---just put them in and let them run in the background for 8-9 hours while u do other things heh

[CBHagman]

44. Holiday Affair.

Janet Leigh is a single mother in post-World War II America. She's got a routine — job, parenting, quiet but steady relationship. In the course of a day's work things take an unexpected turn, and she meets Robert Mitchum, which REALLY complicates things.

http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/78191/Holiday-Affair/

[stopbush]

69. Great movie.

Wendell Corey is the odd man out.

[dem4decades]

45. My wife loves The Family Stone, I understand others don't.

My go to is George C. Scott's Christmas Carol.

If you watch any Hallmark Movies, some one here turned me on to this podcast, A Very Hallmark Christmas, https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/a-very-hallmark-christmas/id1303947163?mt=2. Which reviews Hallmark movies and makes fun of them when appropriate. It's addicting.

[betsuni]

83. The Family Stone bugs me because I can't figure out the son's problem (Everett).

His family is liberal but he appears to be conservative. He asks his girlfriend's sister if she chose her life, says something about everybody telling you what you should do and who you are because you're good at something. His family wouldn't pressure him into going into finance or business, so who is he talking about, and his contentious relationship with his mother isn't explained. Can your wife explain?

I just started watching Hallmark Movies! In three of the four I've seen so far, the lead actress had the same blonde wavy hairstyle, general face and coat and the lead actor vaguely resembled a famous TV actor. The plots are recycled movies. The last one starred a brunette with an Adam Driver look-alike love interest and the plot was borrowed from the movie "Stakeout" (which I wouldn't have known except I saw it on TV last month).

[Me.]

47. Don't Know If These Are On Amazon Prime

But favs include

"Remember The Night"

"We're No Angels"

[Wounded Bear]

49. Mixed Nuts...

cutesly little Steve Martin piece, one of his best. Also starring Rob Reiner, Madeline Kahn, Tony LaPaglia, and Leiv Schreiber (in drag, no less ). Oh, and the Fruit Cake from Hell, too.

Delightful film.

[Generic Brad]

51. Die Hard and Die Hard 2

Both are Christmas movies. No one can convince me otherwise!

[vercetti2021]

76. Hell yes!

Best ever

[Olafjoy]

52. I have enjoyed

The Holiday-Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet. My favorite movie.

The 12 Dates of Christmas-on Amazon. Sort of a Groundhogs Day for Christmas. It’s cute.

The Truth About Christmas. A fluff movie about a political consultant left completely unable to lie after her encounter with Santa.

Love Actually

The Santa Clause movies

Krampus-a really irreverent movie that unleashes anti-Christmas on a dysfunctional family. If you want to see demented gingerbread cookies attack, you’re at the right place. Are those snowmen getting closer to the house? It has become a favorite for my family.

The Holiday Calendar-new for 2018. A nice Christmas romantic comedy.
🎄🎄🎄🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻😁

[narnian60]

104. Loved Krampus.

[wishstar]

114. I love The Holiday too and the 1994 version of Miracle on 34st with Elizabeth Perkins

The Holiday has totally happy ending, simpler without so many convoluted plotlines and not as bittersweet as Love Actually

[Glorfindel]

54. "Pocketful of Miracles," one of the best movies ever.

"Bell, Book, and Candle"
"Gremlins" (yes!)
"Sleepless in Seattle"

[WillowTree]

106. A Pocketful of Miracles was Ann Margaret's first movie.....and Frank Capra's last.

Peter Falk delivered one of my all-time favorite lines...……."Awwww....Get a load of this like the inside of a goat's stomach!"

My DVD I out on loan, so I'll rent it on Amazon tonight or tomorrow.

[TygrBright]

58. It just ain't Christmas until Hans Gruber plunges off the Nakatomi building! n/t

[Julian Englis]

59. Look no further--"Scrooged"

A retelling of Dickens that's v. funny

[MrGrieves]

60. Gremlins!

Yes it is.

[Metatron]

93. My first choice, too

[DUgosh]

61. Trading Places

Jamie Lee Curtis, Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Denholm Elliot, Don Amenche, Ralph Bellamy, Al Franken

[MrGrieves]

62. Oh good one!

[VOX]

109. "Bubbles, man!"

You know the rest.

[Demonaut]

63. It's a Wonderful Christmas Vacation.

[GulfCoast66]

64. Monty Python's the life of Brian?

Puts a lot in perspective.

[sl8]

96. Oh, so that's Capricorn, then?

[betsuni]

65. Mine:

The Shop Around the Corner
Christmas in Connecticut
Miracle on 34th St.
It Happened on 5th Avenue
The Bishop's Wife
The Apartment
Trading Places
Christmas Vacation
In the Bleak Midwinter
Metropolitan
While You Were Sleeping
Scrooged
The Holiday
Mixed Nuts
The Family Man
The Ref
Nutcracker: The Motion Picture

[CBHagman]

92. I LOVE "In the Bleak Midwinter," AKA "A Midwinter's Tale."

Because nothing says Christmas like putting on a Shakespearean tragedy in the middle of nowhere.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113403/

I'm also fond of Peter's Friends, though it's more properly a New Year's Eve movie, as is When Harry Met Sally.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105130/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

[jberryhill]

66. Liquid Sky

[IcyPeas]

90. yikes, I saw this in NYC way back in the day....

weird movie.....

[Renew Deal]

70. Not sure what you consider semi-intelligent but...

Elf and Trading Places are both good. Both are very funny. Trading Places is not a Christmas movie at its core. It takes place at Christmas time.

[UniteFightBack]

73. I like a Christmas Carol. NOT the George C Scott version. nt

[912gdm]

75. muppet Christmas Carol

FTW

[912gdm]

74. semi-intelligent?

as opposed to un-intelligent picks?

Im 40 and watched an animated movie called Arthur Christmas. I thought it was cute and very well done. It was cute for kids. and nice for adults.

[Mr. Quackers]

86. there's not much "intelligent" about Christmas to begin with.

[vercetti2021]

77. Die Hard 1 and 2

Yippie ki yay motherf ker

[mr_lebowski]

79. The Holiday with Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black

Not a 'Xmas Movie' per se but it does take place during the holidays and it's a sweet, fun movie in general.

[AlexSFCA]

80. office christmas party

[912gdm]

85. I tried to watch it, but with the sexual assault accusations on TJ Miller I just couldn't get thoug

couldn't get through it. I love Bateman and Aniston, but I just couldn't stomach miller.

[cilla4progress]

82. Great suggestions

Thanks!

[Sedona]

87. Home for the holidays

[oberliner]

88. Isn't this more of a Lounge post?

[Niagara]

89. I don't have Amamzon prime so

I'm not sure if these are available on Amazon prime:

A Christmas Story

The Holiday

Christmas with the Krank's

[SoCalDem]

91. Meet John Doe...TCM channel

[ucrdem]

94. Made for Each Other, Penny Serenade, Love Affair

100% awesome b/w weepies with Christmas themes, or at least a few trees, all free in Amazon Prime ...

[cilla4progress]

95. Thanks

all!

[jalan48]

99. I liked Elf.

[BannonsLiver]

100. I can recommend The Man Who Invented Christmas

It’s the story of how Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol. Great cast including Christopher Plummer. Currently on Prime.

[sfwriter]

101. Emmet Otters Jugband Christmas!

It’s funny and sweet.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

102. To add to many others already here - "Bachelor Mother"

[Mendocino]

103. Stalag 17 and The Apartment

Both take place at Christmas/New Year.

Plus Billy Wilder, a gift any time of the year.

[Hamlette]

105. The Holiday

I watch it every year. Love it.

Bridget Jones Diary
While you were Sleeping
Serendipity
When Harry met Sally

All rom coms Love Actually is my fav. I've probably watched it a dozen times.

[WillowTree]

107. Two favorites: The Lion in Winter and A Pocketful of Miracles.

They're pretty much at opposite ends of the spectrum and both a little off the beaten track.

[nolabear]

132. I was going to add The Lion in Winter!

I love that movie-Hepburn is fantastic.

[spanone]

110. National Lampoon Christmas Vacation

[Kaleva]

111. Stormy Daniels has a couple of Chritsmas themed movies out. Not family fare though.

[VOX]

113. Paradoxically, I get enormous comfort from "Band of Brothers" during Christmastime...

In particular, the later episodes that deal with the bone-chilling winter in Bastogne. A Christmas like no other.

Yes, it's (very) bloody warfare, but it's comforting to see compassionate teamwork applied to a just cause, and young men (some of them mere teens) who possess a depth of character and concern for a greater good that is now absent in most American men.

But my holiday must-watch is the Alastair Sim version of Dicken's "Christmas Carol." Sim is THE ONLY Scrooge -- accept no substitutes!

[oberliner]

115. Did you mean to post this in The Lounge?

Also, Die Hard.

[USALiberal]

118. Home Alone and Christmas Vacation, every year for 20 years. nt

[Karadeniz]

119. I'll second that...

Remember the night!!!!!

[Trumpocalypse]

122. On Her Majesty's Secret Service

[BumRushDaShow]

123. Holiday Inn

... if you like Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire and musicals. I finally watched it for the first time last year (on TCM) and it had interesting plot twists and of course the famous Oscar-winning song "White Christmas". I just checked and Amazon Prime does have it available.

[Coventina]

127. It's not a movie, but "The Blue Carbuncle" is one of my favs (it's an hour long).

It's a Christmas Sherlock Holmes mystery, exceptionally well done by Jeremy Brett, who played Holmes for Masterpiece Mystery in the 1980s.

Look for the series: "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes."

[SMC22307]

128. Not a movie, but Rick Steves' European Christmas is delightful.

No fights over mall parking spaces, just absolutely delightful.

[Maru Kitteh]

130. Thanks for this post.